Open Your Mind To New Possibilities
by KL005
Summary: After over hearing Shien's comments, Nataku confronts his subordinate - with unexpected results. Unfortunately, Heaven has plans for the new couple. NatakuShien, with references to the pairings and characters in "Saiyuki: Switched.
1. Prologue

**Open Your Mind To New Possibilities******

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**Foreword:** Hopefully, nobody has used this title yet. But it seems unlikely. This is set in the "Switched" universe, which is why certain (if not all) characters' behaviour may appear awkward. It's recommend that you read Switched first, as some storyline elements from there will be incorporated here as well, seeing that it takes place before, during, and after the story. Once again, it does not follow the original Saiyuki storyline at all, although occasional references will be made. Please note that I've never read/seen the Gaiden part of Saiyuki (I blame Singapore for this), so I'm sorry if the storyline goes a bit off.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, except the storyline idea and Shien's sister.

**Summary:** Nataku hears Shien make some comments that strike close to him. So now, he's on a mission to make Shien see things from his point of view, and possibly gain something else in the process.

Stuff in italics are thoughts, words in bold (other than the title, disclaimer, summary and chapter number) are emphasized, and ---------- denotes an interval in time.

**Prologue/Chapter 1******

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"Shuen! Is your brother around?" Nataku's cheerful voice floated up to the second floor, where Shuen was doing her laundry. Mentally running through all the dialogue she'd heard that particular day, Shuen called back, "Wasn't he supposed to meet you in that place of yours?" There was momentary silence, which was then broken by a loud cry.

**"Damn!"******

Nataku admonished himself for forgetting that important appointment. What made it worse was that he had thought Shien was at fault. Quickly muttering the teleportation spell, he soon found himself on earth, standing before his "secret place", a tall hill overlooking a town. Looking up to the hilltop, he could see a figure seated beneath a tree. Racing to the top of the hill in record time, Nataku paused by the tree, behind the person he was supposed to meet.

"It's about time, Nataku-sama," Shien's voice sounded light, almost teasing. Grinning sheepishly, Nataku sat down beside his most trusted man in the entire Heavenly Army. "Well…I…" Nataku started before pausing. As the God of War, there was no need to explain himself to his deputy. _'But we're not soldier and official here,'_ he thought. _'More like friends.'_ Seeing Shien shaking his head to dismiss his attempt at explanation, he did not continue.

Both of them sat there, watching the sun come close to completing its path through the sky, each in a separate world of their thoughts. For Shien, despite being here about twenty times since he had made Nataku's acquaintance, he still could not figure out what the younger person saw in this boring old hill. Well, he could see that the grass was greener here as compared to heaven, and that the occasional breeze was much more refreshing, but hills of this sort seemed to be in abundance all over the countryside. He simply did not understand Nataku's fascination with **this** particular lump of soil. Shrugging, he turned his attention to his superior, who seemed to be absorbed in his thoughts as well.

Like Shien, Nataku's thoughts were also focussed on the surrounding, but specifically, on the person next to him. Even though his second-in-command was a few years older than he was, Nataku was sure that he was falling head-over-heels for the man. He first realized this while he was seeing Shuen. Every time he escorted her home, he found himself staying there for hours on end, all to catch an occasional glimpse of Shien. Eventually, the relationship had fallen through, but they were still as close as siblings. It was the same at work and on missions as well. Whenever Shien came over to his room for official matters, he would invariably end up trying to cook up all sorts of reasons to delay Shien's departure. Sighing to himself, Nataku swore that he would come clean one day, but every time he brought up the subject, he found himself stuttering and eventually changing the subject.

While they were thinking about the mysteries of their lives, the sun had crept into hiding, throwing the world into a darkness only illuminated by the moon's soft glow. Shivering at the cold, Nataku felt an arm go around his shoulders. For a man who had his eyes closed most of the time, Shien was remarkably observant. Leaning against the arm, he relaxed as he felt the warmth radiating from within himself. He allowed himself five minutes of indulgence before raising himself to his feet, extending a hand to Shien. Using the proffered hand for leverage, Shien hoisted himself up as well, lips already forming the words of the teleportation spell.

Back in his room, Nataku let his thoughts wander again, this time to their recent meeting on the hill. He felt that he was reading way too much into Shien's gesture; the man was only showing friendly concern. _'But still, it's ok to hope, right?'_ Grinning, Nataku let sleep carry him away. One day, Shien would know. _'But not today.'_

Notes: Here we go again. Voluntary subjection to hours of anguish, sorrow, and writer's block. But it'll all be worthwhile in the end. I believe this is an original pairing as well, as I've never read another fic like this. A great "THANK YOU!!!" to Zelgadis55 for the various clarifications, as well as for the Chinese "Open Up Your Mind". Hope you enjoy it, and leave reviews! Btw. keistje, I swear, you're the one that influenced me to put so much more Sanzo/Goku into Switched. I was only intending them to come up once in a while.


	2. Gone

**Open Your Mind To New Possibilities**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, except the storyline idea and Shien's sister.

**Summary:** Nataku hears Shien make some comments that strike close to him. So now, he's on a mission to make Shien see things from his point of view, and possibly gain something else in the process.

Stuff in italics are thoughts, words in bold (other than the title, disclaimer, summary and chapter number) are emphasized, and ---------- denotes an interval in time.

**Chapter 2**

Way before the crack of dawn, a lone figure was seated on a ledge, silhouetted against the waning moon's light. Upon closer inspection, one would see that it possessed golden eyes. As he let out a sigh, another person walked onto the scene, and laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it ever so slightly.

"So, he threw you out again?" Nataku asked, shaking his head in disbelief at Konzen's temper. Receiving a nod from Goku, he continued, "Why don't you move out or something?" Laughing heartily at the comment, Goku replied, "Well, I have been thinking of it...remember what I told you about Tenpou? He feels the same way!" The excitement Goku was feeling was reflected in his voice, which rose in pitch on the last five words. Grinning, Nataku slapped him on the back. "You're kidding!" _'If only I could do the same…' _ "You know, it was just for fun. You didn't have to do it." Hearing this, Goku appeared indignant and jabbed his friend in the ribs. This worried Nataku for a moment, fearing that he would lose one of his few confidantes.

However, the slight blush creeping up onto Goku's face gave his true feelings away. Feeling relieved (and slightly annoyed), Nataku pinned his playmate to the ground and started tickling him mercilessly. Between gasps of laughter and pleas for leniency, Goku managed to verbalize, "Seriously, I have to thank you. If not for you, I'd never have even thought of telling him. We've already made plans for me to move to his place." Before Nataku could respond, the marshal in question made his presence known by softly clearing his throat behind them.

"Nataku-sama," Tenpou nodded to his superior and sat next to Goku, who automatically rested his head on the taller man's shoulder. As they sat together, they painted the perfect picture of a loving couple. Feeing a slight pang of jealousy, Nataku excused himself and went back to his room, where he sat down at his desk. Picking up a pen, he was just about to begin writing a note when his developed senses picked up a sound – specifically, the sound of his doorknob turning. Standing up due to force of habit, he saw the very person he hoped to avoid – his father.

Li Touten strode forward purposefully, only stopping when he was sure that his son was cornered. Nataku shrank back, more out of disgust than of fear. He did not intend to use his extensive training to amass power for his father, but he had no choice as he was a victim of certain…circumstances. Lowering his voice to a menacing whisper, Li Touten spoke into Nataku's ear, "Our spies are currently scouting Houtou Castle. Once they return with the necessary information, you will…" _'Charge in and massacre anybody and everybody in sight, right?'_ He had stopped paying attention after the first few seconds. After all, it was the usual procedure – send scouts, get information, plan route, go in, kill everyone. To tell the truth, it was getting boring. Making an excuse, he quickly exited the room, more to get away from his father than anything else. Walking distractedly along the corridors, he didn't stop until he bumped into something rather solid. Feeling disoriented, he began to apologize profusely until an all-too familiar voice cut him short.

"You look distracted, Nataku-sama."

Upon hearing the soothing voice, Nataku instantly relaxed. He had bumped into the flat planes of Shien's bandaged abdomen. After steadying the God of War, Shien sighed. Why did the young man appear so troubled again? At this point in his life, he could only be troubled by work and love. And from the way his father restricted his socializing, he assumed it was work. _'Besides, it couldn't be…he wouldn't be attracted to…' _ Offering a slight smile, Shien's parting words were "Well, be careful." Smiling weakly, the recipient of the advice started walking again, making sure not to bump into anything.

Two emerald eyes started rolling. It was Tenpou's reflex action whenever Goku bugged him about the cleanliness of his study. "Goku, nobody's died from a messy floor," Tenpou said, for about the tenth time in almost as many minutes. After about five more minutes of persuasion, Goku finally relented, saying, "But if a shelf falls on you, I'm saying 'I told you so'." Grinning mischievously, Goku skipped out, searching for something to do. _'Like that'll ever happen,' _ Tenpou chuckled to himself as he continued writing his proposal.

A sharp cry resounded through the still air. Broadsword in hand, Nataku leapt towards a tall wooden post stuck vertically into the ground. Within seconds, the pole was reduced to matchwood in a flurry of flashing metal. A number of similar stumps stood in the ground, evidence of his intensive workout. Panting heavily, Nataku headed into the house, desperately in need of a cold drink. After quenching his thirst, he went off to seek company. Being a "killing puppet" seriously narrowed his social circle.

Shien bowed and rose. For once, the higher authorities did not make use of the most powerful weapon in their arsenal. Then again, they had no reason to. It was only a small uprising, after all. Assembling a small battalion of about fifty soldiers, Shien led them to the heavenly gate, where the related department recognized all official arrivals and departures. With a swift nod to the officer on duty, the squad descended to earth to curb the rebellion.

_'Where did he go?' _ Running through the dark hallways, a small body, outlined in an ethereal light, started to panic. **He** was gone. Fallen into the abyss; never coming back again. Nataku screamed, then sat bolt upright in bed, sweat pouring off his brow. For some strange reason, he had an ill premonition ever since he heard that Shien led a troop of soldiers down to earth. _'Well, I don't think I'll be missed for a few hours,' _ he thought as he got up, stretched, and teleported to the site of the battle.

Notes: Wow…writing this pair is definitely more difficult than I expected. One reason being I lack info on their characters/backgrounds/stories. But then, that's good as well, as there's so much more room for my imagination to run wild. To clarify, I have no idea what these "circumstances" in the fifth paragraph are in Saiyuki, but in the real story, whenever Nataku misbehaved, Li Touten would trap his soul in a pagoda and burn him with some sacred fire thingy. Also, rather unfortunately, I have to apologize. Over the next two weeks or so, there will be a massive decrease in the frequency of my updates. Yes, it's another horrible exam, lasting from the 19th to the…27th or so. So, please forgive the slow updates (if any at all), and try not to lose interest, for I guarantee, upon my word of honour, I **WILL **update by the end of the month. Leave reviews!


	3. Coming Clean

**Open Your Mind To New Possibilities******

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, except the storyline idea and Shien's sister.

**Summary:** Nataku hears Shien make some comments that strike close to him. So now, he's on a mission to make Shien see things from his point of view, and possibly gain something else in the process.

Stuff in italics are thoughts, words in bold (other than the title, disclaimer, summary and chapter number) are emphasized, and ---------- denotes an interval in time.

**Chapter 3******

An all-too familiar sight met Nataku's eyes as he arrived at the battleground. It was always the same scene after a battle in which Heaven's Army had been a participant. The landscape had been unnecessarily wrecked, and even though the demons' bodies had disintegrated under the soldiers' weapons, the barren land was drenched in blood, showing the extent of heaven's ruthlessness. Unfortunately for him, neither the troops nor their leader was anywhere to be seen.

With panic fuelling his energy, he ran to the top of a nearby hill in order to get a better view of the area. Seeing a thin trail of smoke spiralling its way into the sky far away piqued Nataku's curiosity. _'Maybe they were pursuing a few escapees, and stopped to set up camp for the night.' _Hoping for his prediction to be true, Nataku teleported in the smoke's general direction.

Despite being heaven's best fighter and an expert navigator, Nataku still missed his target destination by a few hundred metres. The worry for Shien's safety was adversely affecting his skills and performance. Rapidly covering the remaining distance on foot, Nataku only took minutes to reach the source of the smoke which, true to his prediction, was caused by the campfire set up by Shien's force.

Weaving his way through the tents, Nataku didn't stop until he reached the biggest one. It was a sort of tradition that the commander had a larger tent, as it was easier to differentiate from the troops' tents. He was about to push the cloth covering the entrance aside when he heard a soft voice. "Yes, I've noticed Nataku-sama's weird behaviour lately. But him being attracted to anyone is a joke. Especially when that 'anyone' is me." Quiet laughter followed that statement, and Nataku, blinded by sadness, rage, and disappointment, barged into the tent.

As expected, Shien was sitting there with another faceless solider. Nataku had never paid much attention to the soldiers. And now he decided that he was going to care about them even less than before. Trying to keep the volume of his voice in check, he pointed at the soldier. "Out. Now." When the man didn't move, the trademark broadsword materialized in Nataku's hand, and his voice rose to a scream, **"NOW!"** fearing for his life, the poor man fairly sprinted out of the tent, leaving the two most powerful people in Heaven's Army alone.

Wordlessly, Nataku went to Shien and punched him square in the jaw, before striding out of the tent, choking back the sob that threatened to escape from his lips. Dumbfounded at his superior's unexpected visit, not to mention the high possibility that said superior overheard his conversation, Shien took a few minutes to recover from the shock before running out of the tent and chasing after Nataku.

Due to his enhanced senses and vast experience, Nataku knew that he was being followed almost instantly. Seeing that his broadsword still in his hand, he began to slice through trees, the sharp blade cutting through the thick trunks as though they were made of paper. Shien had hardly enough time to activate his whips before the first trees came crashing down. Sending the flexible beam of light up to impact the wood, Shien dodged the falling tree, now split in two. They continued this game of "obstacle course tag" for another ten minutes before Nataku teleported away with a frustrated cry. Luckily, Shien anticipated this and, having closed the distance gap between them, he was close enough to grab onto Nataku's robe before he vanished.

Appearing in on top of a hill a short while later, Nataku felt an extra weight behind him. Whipping around, he felt a tug on the back of his robe, causing him to lose balance and fall on top of Shien, who still held on to the piece of clothing. As both of them assessed their positions, they came to a common conclusion – they were in a **very** suggestive position. Shien tried to move out of it, but found that he couldn't, mainly due to the God of War, who seemed to be squashing him.

After getting off Shien, Nataku asked, "Back at the camp...did you really mean that?" as the taller man pondered over the question, Nataku thought, _'Was my attraction for him that obvious? Even a normal soldier figured out; why can't he?'_ For the first time in as long as either of them could remember, Shien fully opened his eyes, revealing the dark green shade of his irises, and countered the question with one of his own, "Remember what you said the first day I joined your squad?" _'Sometimes, it's better to hide how you truly feel, especially in a world where people may not accept your views,'_ Nataku thought, his mouth echoing his brain. It was something he told all his soldiers on their first day in his squad, for fear that they would say something politically incorrect in front of the higher authorities. Never would he have imagined that Shien applied it to the other aspects of his life as well.

"The truth is, Nataku-sama, I do love you. More than anything in the world. But I had a feeling that that soldier was a spy for your father, and therefore, I had to lie. I hope you w..." the rest of his words were cut off as Nataku, grinning from ear to ear, reached over and kissed him feverently. Hesitantly returning the kiss, Shien smiled inwardly. He had been looking forward to this for the longest time. It was just that he lacked the courage to express himself. Breaking away from the golden-eyed young man, he got into a sitting position. Pointing to the sky, he said, "There's a legend among humans saying that gods of high rank are represented by stars in the sky." Pointing to a remarkably large star, he continued, "That's the star representing Kanzeon Bosatsu-sama," and then to a smaller, brighter one, "That one's you."

As the shorter god looked up, he easily spotted his star, glowing like a beacon in the inky darkness. _'Maybe the brightness is tied to the way the person's feeling...'_ As it was early morning, Nataku shivered. He was terribly intolerant to cold. Shien then put his arms around his superior, only that this time, it was much more intimate as one arm went all the way around the slightly shaking shoulders, and another arm encircled the slim waist in the same manner. Giving in to the temptation to lean back, Nataku did exactly that, resting his head against Shien's shoulder, and subsequently falling asleep.

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As he shook the haze of sleep from his mind, Nataku found himself in the tent which he had run out of the previous night. Beside him was a note, reading, "Gone to inform troops. Come find me when you wake up." Walking out of the makeshift shelter, he saw that the troops were assembled in formation, ready to ascend to heaven again. Looking at Shien, he saw that the man was on 'stoic mode'. Nodding curtly to all present, Nataku took the lead and teleported them back.

Upon reaching the Southern Heavenly Gate, Nataku realized something. "Oh shit!" he yelled. He'd been out of heaven for at least five hours. Quickly running to his room, he paused before opening the door, anticipating the worst.

**Notes:** Looks like this pairing isn't too popular. There's been a sort of decline in reviews, but oh well. Maybe some of you guys need time to get used to the idea. It's kinda like Goku and Sanzo anyway, just that Goku knows a whole lot more and that Sanzo's a bit more mild-mannered. Regardless, leave reviews!!


	4. Plans

**Open Your Mind To New Possibilities******

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, except the storyline idea and Shien's sister.

**Summary:** Nataku hears Shien make some comments that strike close to him. So now, he's on a mission to make Shien see things from his point of view, and possibly gain something else in the process.

Stuff in italics are thoughts, words in bold (other than the title, disclaimer, summary and chapter number) are emphasized, and ---------- denotes an interval in time.

**Chapter 4******

Slipping into the dark room, Nataku saw that there was no indication that his absence had been noticed. Quietly getting into bed, he estimated he had another hour before the maids would come to wake him up. Lying on the bed, he found that he had difficulty in falling asleep again. It was not entirely unexpected. After all, he had slept for a few hours on earth, and he wasn't someone who needed regular rest. On the contrary, he needed a relatively little amount of sleep as compared to everyone else.

Tossing and turning in bed for one hour wasn't the most interesting – or constructive – thing to do. Nataku found that out first-hand as he laid there, his thoughts wandering to what had transpired a few hours ago. Grinning like an infatuated schoolgirl, he was suddenly startled by a knock on the door.

"Nataku-sama, time to get up."

As usual, the cold voice sounded outside the door. Li Touten had specifically told all of his son's attendants that should they try to get friendly with the boy, they'd lose more than their jobs. And nobody doubted his seriousness on that one. As a result, Nataku was treated with nothing more than respect. No smiles, no cheerfulness, just plain stony looks, and polite words.

Faking a yawn to show that he was awake, the occupant of the room went about his daily morning routine. Make bed, spend some time tidying up in front of mirror, make sure emotionless look is in place, and step out to face the day. Nodding to the maid, who bowed and hastily retreated, Nataku figured that he had at least an hour and a half before his morning audience with his father. So he decided to drop by Tenpou's place to say hi to Goku.

Upon arrival at the marshal's place, it was evident to him that neither of them were morning people. Both of them were curled up together on the sofa, asleep in each other's arms. _'This has potential…'_ he thought as he watched Goku, who was nearer to the edge, starting to roll off. It appeared that Goku's sense of balance was slightly less acute in his sleep, as he grabbed desperately at thin air before impacting the floor with a loud crash and the clash of chains against the tile.

Goku was having the most wonderful dream. He was walking along a cliff, retaining his human from despite being free of chains and limiter. But that wasn't even the best part. The best part was that Tenpou was beside him. As they were walking, Tenpou leaned over to kiss him. At that time, he was unsure how to react, and took a few steps away, incidentally sending him over the cliff…

And onto the floor of Tenpou's living room. Frantically looking around, Goku sighed in relief. How could he have possibly been on a cliff? Especially with what they were doing last night… _'No…think unsexy thoughts…Tenpou talking, Tenpou doing work, Tenpou half-naked in bathroom…AHHH!!'_ Blushing slightly, Goku was distracted by another pair of gold eyes at the window. Running out to meet his friend, Goku grinned. Nataku's seemed to be in a better mood since their last meeting. Right now, they were walking in silence, and were just about to pass by Shien's house.

"Might as well ask him now…" Goku mumbled to himself. A second voice cut in, "Ask him what?" Nataku seemed genuinely curious as he saw Goku frowning.

"You seem happier. Why?"

Smiling to himself, the War God recounted the past events as Goku listened, too stunned for words. He never would have imagined Shien to be the on the receiving end of Nataku's affections. Then again, he also never would have imagined that Tenpou would reciprocate his feelings. Getting up to stretch his cramped muscles, Nataku grinned. "Anyway, I have to go off for the morning meeting," he rolled his eyes as he said it, expressing his obvious dislike for the brainwashing sessions, for that was what they really were. Waving goodbye, he readied his mind to reject all the information that would be fed to him later on.

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"You're **late.**"

"I know, but…"

Before the sentence was fully formed, a hand descended sharply on his cheek. Even though the force used was enough to knock a normal soldier out, Nataku barely winced from the pain. He remembered only too well what happened the last time he showed signs of weakness. Not wanting to repeat the experience, he steeled himself against his father's harsh words and braced himself for another hit. But it never landed. Li Touten was already walking to the far side of the room, pulling several charts and maps off a bookshelf and laying them on a table.

"Our scouts," he began, "have come up with these plans. You will lead a force of two hundred men to Houtou Castle in the early morning three days from now. That's when the demons will be at their weakest, and the energy flow will be advantageous to us." Briefly pausing to let his son assimilate the information, he leant back against his desk. This was nothing new to the boy standing in the middle of the room, and both of them already knew what was coming next.

"You will infiltrate the castle, and try to assassinate Gyumaoh in his sleep. Should it fail, you will engage him in one-on-one combat."

Nodding to show his understanding, Nataku got up and made to leave the room. "Oh yes, I don't have to remind you about this, but you know the consequences of failure." That never failed to irk the departing figure. As he saw his son clench his fists in annoyance, he gave a satisfied smile. Life was good with the ultimate killing machine at your disposal.

**Notes: **Not much to say since there are no reviews…


	5. Last Night

**Open Your Mind To New Possibilities**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, except the storyline idea and Shien's sister.

**Summary:** After (over)hearing Shien's comments, Nataku confronts his subordinate - with unexpected results. Unfortunately, Heaven has plans for the new couple.

Stuff in italics are thoughts, words in bold (other than the title, disclaimer, summary and chapter number) are emphasized, and ---------- denotes an interval in time.

**Chapter 5**

'_Three days...' _Nataku thought as he stormed out of the room. Even three minutes had seemed like forever while listening to the briefing, but now, when faced with the high probability of not coming back alive after the mission, three days was far too short a wait. He wanted – no, needed – far much more time to do so many things, like talk to Goku more and find out about his friend's past, or see Shuen find someone she would be happy with, and most importantly, further his relationship with Shien. Exhaling sharply in frustration, he headed wandered aimlessly, wanting to find someone to talk to. But as usual, everybody avoided him. Being too close to a person with an aura of death was inauspicious.  
  
Shortly after Nataku left, the seat he had previously occupied in Li Touten's office was taken by Shien, who had been called in to receive his instructions for the attack. By now, he had become accustomed to the routine as well, so this was more of a formality. Even though he too had heard this version of the speech before every mission, it still made him dread the time where the entire battalion would stand by and just see Nataku off to potentially meet his doom. Noticing that there was a sudden silence, Shien realized that the session was over and excused himself, eager to get as far away as possible from that revolting man.  
  
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The next three days passed in record time. Word had spread like wildfire, and everywhere Nataku went, people avoided him like the plague, with only a few daring to nervously wish him luck.. During these three days, he had said goodbye to Goku, who had an adorable look of confusion on his face when he heard the news, and after Tenpou explained the full implications of Nataku's words, he made Nataku swear to come back alive, or else. Then, at a loss for words, Goku got up and hugged Nataku, eyes brimming with tears which he quickly wiped away.  
  
But of all the beings in heaven, Shuen was the worst hit, as her brother and her former fiancé, who was now her best friend, would be risking their lives to stop the most powerful demon in the world. She, like the rest of heaven's non-military population, had been fed a sob-story about the noble heroes who would most probably not make it back alive from the coming encounter. Both Shien and Nataku longed to tell her the truth, but they were unable to as there would be harsh repercussions. All they could do was to repeatedly reassure her that they would be fine, that nobody was about to get killed. And yet, the worried look in her eyes and the slight furrow of her brow never seemed to leave her face.  
  
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Dusk was fast approaching, and the troops were to surround Houtou Castle in eight hours' time. Li Touten had given everybody the day (and night) off, up to two in the morning, when final preparations would be made. Predictably, Nataku had went to his favourite spot again, only this time, Shien went along as well.  
  
Sitting on top of the hill, both of them watched the sun as it dunked itself into a nearby lake. "We might not see this ever again, you know?" A hint of sadness was detectable in Nataku's voice. Shin tried to reply, but could not accurately express his thoughts. Instead, he settled for absently stroking the back of Nataku's head, paying attention to the area between the neck and shoulder, where he was extremely ticklish. True enough, Nataku was soon trying hard to squirm out of Shien's grasp, hopelessly laughing all the time. As for Shien, a soft smile made itself known on his features as he relentlessly assaulted his superior's – he still had trouble associating "Nataku" with "lover" or even "boyfriend" – neck.  
  
Finally, when Shien decided that Nataku had been sufficiently tortured, he let go and they spent some time looking up at the sky. They had memorized the positions of their stars, and right now, both of them looked rather dim. Sighing, Nataku suddenly requested, "Shien, open your eyes." Although puzzled, the silent god complied nonetheless, revealing his irises. "Beautiful," Nataku breathed, as he continued staring into the olive green depths. As the slightest of blushes crept onto Shien's face, Nataku gave in to temptation and captured Shien's lips with his own, smiling inwardly as he felt a surprised gasp through their joined lips. And up above them, their two stars glowed with fierce intensity. Both of them realized it could be the last of their shared special moments, and each one treasured this short span of time.  
  
**Notes: **This is the first update in a rather long time. I'm really sorry for the wait, but I'm in the midst of my final exams, which are due to end on the 19th of this month. As for now, this will be the last update until then, and I really hope that everyone still remembers who the characters are and how they behave. One of the disadvantages of reading (and writing for) a fanfic that hasn't been updated for quite a while is that you can't identify with the characters that well. Until the 19th then!


	6. Battle

**Open Your Mind To New Possibilities**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, except the storyline idea and Shien's sister.

**Summary:** After (over)hearing Shien's comments, Nataku confronts his subordinate - with unexpected results. Unfortunately, Heaven has plans for the new couple.

Stuff in italics are thoughts, words in bold (other than the title, disclaimer, summary and chapter number) are emphasized, and ---------- denotes an interval in time.

**Chapter 6**

Houtou Castle loomed up in the distance, growing steadily larger as the procession of men drew closer. Teleporting straight to the castle gates would have created a disturbance in the ambient energy flow, and that would clue the castle sentries in on their arrival. So, the safest procedure was to teleport close to the building, and then make the rest of the journey on foot.

The walk passed with relative silence, and they paused a short distance away under the cover of some forest, where they would conduct the final briefing. Once everyone was well hidden by the trees, the infantry commander began, "As usual, nobody is to help Nataku-sama, as Li Touten-sama has instructed. Anyone found offering the slightest bit of assistance will be put to death on the spot for disobedience of orders. We will be accompanying Nataku-sama only for the next hundred metres, so get ready to set up camp again soon."

While the other soldiers were sitting around and generally doing nothing, Nataku was staring hard at a map which depicted the path he would have to take once in the castle. Slowly tracing the thin red line, he allowed his face to contort into a wry smile. _'The planners leave no detail uncovered; no room for error. If anything screws up in there, it'll be my fault as usual.'_ Throwing the piece of paper on the ground, he got up and joined the rest of the troops, who were ready for their final advance.

After the makeshift camp had been vacated, and another one had been set up closer to the castle, Nataku left the others and approached the heavily fortified walls of Gyumaoh's base. Flattening himself against the bricks, he waited patiently for the sign. True to one of the many footnotes on the map, a gong sounded at precisely 3am, signalling athe change of shift. Nataku knew that he would have to be even more careful now. No doubt the demons had done their own research and realized their precarious situation due to the energy deficiency. As a result, Heaven's intelligence was sure that all the elite guards would be on duty at this time.

Looking up, Nataku noticed that the shadows cast by the guards were diminishing. Obviously, this meant that the wall would be unguarded for some time. With several leaps, Nataku scaled the high wall and landed in the castle grounds. The note also stated that the change of guards would take a considerably shorter time than normal, and thus, he had to hurry. Teleportation was briefly considered, but then, a sudden spike in energy would be a dead giveaway. Instead, he opted to use the more conventional method of sneaking down various corridors to get to his target, narrowly escaping detection twice. Unfortunately, he was not as lucky the third time and had to silence the pair of sentries who discovered him.

Upon reaching Gyumaoh's room, Nataku noticed that there was a detail the map neglected to mention. The chamber was guarded by no less than ten Shoryus, which were a special breed of demon that served as Gyumaoh's personal bodyguards. With no choice but to improvise, Nataku tried recalling the details from the map. It was no good. No air vents or secret passages came to mind. With no choice, Nataku cast a basic but potent sleeping spell, which soon had all ten Shoryus collapsed on the floor in deep slumber. Tiptoeing over the sleeping Shoryus, Nataku slowly opened the door to the demon king's lair.

Moving to the bed, Nataku drew a small dagger from within his sleeve and stood over Gyumaoh's prone form. All the years of training kicked in, screaming for him to slit the throat, stab through the heart, anything but stand there looking like a fool. However, against his better judgment, Nataku did not move a muscle, as if afraid to rouse Gyumaoh from his dreams. Finally, banishing all distracting thoughts from his mind, Nataku plunged the blade into Gyumaoh's chest, but theknife was deflected by a hard plate. At that same moment, a red eye opened.

"Took you long enough," Gyumaoh's deep baritone reverberated off the room's walls as he sat up, dressed in full battle gear. "I've been waiting for this attack for a week now. Did you really think my plans stopped at mobilizing the elites and Shoryus? Even though we're reputed to have low intellect, it doesn't mean you have to underestimate us like that!" Eyes wide from shock, Nataku tried to jump back, but found that his feet werestuck to the ground. As Gyumaoh got up, his room dissolved around them until they were finally standing outside the castle.

Nataku desperately tried to focus his energy to shake Gyumaoh's binding spell off. At this point, all the demons in Houtou Castle had gathered along the walls of the watchtower and were eagerly observing the confrontation. Just like the demons, Heaven's Army had been alerted to the appearance of the fighters and the entire encampment was gathered on the demons' opposite side, like two rival martial arts schools supporting their best fighters, which was not too far off as an analogy.

Shien was standing by the sidelines, watching as Nataku finally broke free of the binding and called forth his flaming broadsword. A chilly wind began to blow as both combatants faced off, adding an ominous tinge to the environment. Finally, one of the onlooking demons could no longer stand the tension and yelled, "Start fighting already!" This elicited a gasp from the other spectators, and caused Gyumaoh to flinch irritably. But still, the remark had the desired effect. Both of them raised their weapons and charged at each other.

In the next few minutes, all an untrained eye could see would be flashes of light from the two clashing swords. But Shien was not exactly untrained. He saw a rapid succession of thrusts and slashes, which were met by an equally fast series of parries and dodges. It seemed that while the energy had weakened Gyumaoh, he was still able to match up to Nataku's skills. Several demons tried to dash forward to help their lord, and this prompted several soldiers to approach Shien, who coldly answered their query with, "Didn't you hear the order? Absolutely nobody is to interfere in the battle." As much as it broke his heart to say it, he did not have a choice. After all, it took every ounce of self restraint he could muster to prevent himself from running into the fray to aid his lov – superior. Gritting his teeth, he turned around. Perhaps it would not affect him so much if he did not witness the proceedings.

----------

Eventually, Nataku got in the deciding blow – a stab to Gyumaoh's heart through a previously inflicted crack in the chestplate. Before his death, Gyumaoh cast a wide-range explosive spell which directly impacted Nataku. Everyone else saw a bright flash, and then a smoking body was thrown out of the battlefield. Shien was the first to reach the body, and quickly checked for a pulse, hoping for the best. _'Ironic that I'm praying to the gods, isn't it?'_ he thought as he finally felt a faint heartbeat pulsing in the limp figure's neck. When the rest of the soldiers had caught up, Shien had simply said, "He's alive. You two, help him up. We'll return to Heaven shortly." But inside, he was worried sick with concern. _'I wonder what will happen next...'_

**Notes:** I know it's been a while, but here's chapter 6 out of a potential 15. I really need some feedback on how this is going, because I have a few fragmented ideas floating around and am not entirely sure how to sequence them. Regardless, enjoy this and leave reviews!!


	7. Welcome

**Open Your Mind To New Possibilities**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, except the storyline idea and Shien's sister.

**Summary:** After (over)hearing Shien's comments, Nataku confronts his subordinate - with unexpected results. Unfortunately, Heaven has plans for the new couple.

Stuff in italics are thoughts, words in bold (other than the title, disclaimer, summary and chapter number) are emphasized, and ---------- denotes an interval in time.

**Chapter 7**

Back up in Heaven, the entire place was a flurry of activity as the people prepared to welcome their victorious War God. Streamers were hung up all the way from the main gate to everywhere else, resulting in a celebratory mood, yet with an underlying threatening tone, as if a giant net was suspended over the festivities, ready to fall should anything get out of hand.

_'Where is he?'_ Goku was close to panicking as he squeezed his way through the crowd. Konzen had told him that Nataku would be back today, and that there would be a ceremony to welcome him. As usual, Goku had tried his best to drag his keeper along, but Konzen had simply replied with a whack to the head and a "Do whatever you want." Seeing that further persuasion was pointless, Goku had given up and went to search for the main gate, hoping to be the first to **really** welcome Nataku back.

Repeated shouts of "They're here!" alerted everyone to Nataku's arrival. Li Touten's men forced the people into clearing the path, squeezing them into a line on either side of the road. A fanfare played as the gates opened, showing a severely-wounded Nataku, leaning heavily on his sword and refusing any offer of assistance. Slowly, he walked down the corridor created by the soldiers, only pausing when he heard a familiar voice shout his name.

Despite the injuries, he quickly turned to his right to see a very welcome sight – another pair of golden eyes. When Goku finally managed to slip past the guard and reach his friend's side, Nataku's strength had all but given out. Lurching into Goku's outstretched arms, he felt his eyelids grow heavy, but the sound of Goku's voice helped maintain his lucidity.

Abruptly, one of the guards came forward. "Pardon us for the security breach, Nataku-sama," he said, not sounding apologetic in the slightest bit. As he attempted to pull Goku away, he whispered, "You'll have to continue walking, Nataku-sama. It would not be wise to hold things up." Years of conditioning had taught Nataku to harden his heart. Even though he felt guilty, he wrenched himself free from Goku's grasp and continued walking. Behind him he could hear Goku trying to get past the much larger man while repeatedly yelling for him to turn back. Sighing softly, all he could do was hope that his energetic friend would not lose his voice with all that shouting.

----------

Later in the evening, Nataku was informed that a dinner was to be held in his honour and being the man of the moment and all, he was to turn up at all costs, regardless of injuries or "any other crap" as his father had put it. Naturally, this did not sit well with him and all excuses were considered, even deliberate self-decapitation, but that line of thought was quickly shut down. If his luck was bad enough, he would be forced to attend the dinner with a few missing limbs, and that would most certainly not earn him any points with the higher powers. So, he had tried to heal up any cuts, and even took a few painkilling potions to ensure he did not collapse throughout the course of the evening. Rolling his eyes in quiet desperation, he looked at the outfit the servants had laid out.

_'**No bloody way **will I be seen, dead or alive, in this monstrosity.'_

Nataku's indignance was perfectly understandable. The robes his servants chose had been coloured in the brightest shade of vermillion, until staring at it for too long actually caused a headache. To top it off, they had not been worn for quite a long period of time, possibly since he was a child. Not only were they outrageously garish, they were seven sizes too small to boot. Chucking it aside in disgust and throwing his blood-stained gear into a distant corner, Nataku opened his wardrobe, searching for his ideal set of clothes.

After ten minutes of fruitless ransacking the closet for that special indigo-coloured formal dress robe, Nataku decided that his attendants had made a mistake and had placed it elsewhere. With about twenty minutes to spare, he walked out of his room, half naked, in search for his preferred garments. After all, anyone he met along the way would be catching an eyeful. Rarely (if ever) did the God of War walk about baring his upper body. _'Now, if Shien would come around the corner...'_ Grinning to himself, he nearly passed out when it really happened. Shien was sent to look for Nataku, seeing as the guest of honour could not be late for the dinner held for him. Upon catching sight of Nataku clad only in his pants, Shien's heart skipped a beat or two, maybe even three...or four...or five...

"Shien?" Nataku gasped, trying to find some way to cover himself up, developing a noticeable blushthe whole time. Finally, he settled for folding his arms over his chest, which actually served to make him look more desirable. A small smile made itself known on Shien's face, before he took Nataku's hand, leading him back to the room he had previously left.

Once they were inside, Shien surprised Nataku by taking the initiative and kissing him aggressively. When he pulled away, there was a dazed look in Nataku's eyes, and all he could manage to say was, "Why?"

"Because I was this close to losing you. Because you are almost everything to me," Shien softly replied, "I never want you to be in danger again." Even as he said it, he knew that he was asking for the impossible. Being a military man himself, Shien knew that whenever they were called upon for a mission, no matter how insignificant, there was bound to be that sliver of a chance that something would go wrong. Of course, his attention to detail and quick thinking usually ensured that the mission succeeded without a hitch, but he dreaded the day that he might screw up during preparation and cause the loss of innocent lives. Not only would he have to answer to his superior (the new one if Nataku happened to die), he would also live with the guilt of causing the death of the man he loved. For a god, "the rest of his life" was a really long time.

Looking into Shien's eyes, or rather, eyelids, Nataku could see all the emotional strain that the man had been through. From the preparation, to the fight, to the earlier celebration, Shien had been worried sick for his safety. Nataku gently whispered, "Look at me. Really look at me." For once, Shien felt the gravity of the situation and opened his eyes, staring into Nataku's golden ones.

In all his years, Nataku had never seen Shien with his eyes open. Now, he was looking into eyes the colour of uncut emeralds, gazing through them into Shien's soul. At last, he understood why Shien had purposely learnt to live with his eyes closed. It was because he was afraid that people could see his fears, his secrets, read him like a book through those eyes. Which was exactly what Nataku was doing now.

They remained in this position for a while more, until Nataku broke the silence by saying, "My teacher used to tell me that a military man should always live for the moment, because his future is uncertain. And in this moment, I promise that one aspect of our futures is certain – we will never lose each other." Both men forced back their tears and smiled at each other. "Come on, we're late and I haven't found my robe," Nataku led Shien out of the door, on the trail of the elusive piece of clothing.

Moments after they left, two soldiers sneaked into the room and deposited a letter on the desk. "It's not the best time to do this, but Nataku-sama has to know. Hopefully he seesit soon," one of them muttered as they made a quick exit, leaving no sign of their presence.

**Notes:** Most of this chapter will most likely not be an exact replica of the gaiden storyline, since I'm doing this from memory. But the major events should all be in place. I'm in desperate need of reviews right now to help shape the story and provide feedback on my writing style. Maybe something was wrong with the last chapter.


	8. Dinner, dreams, plans, and fatigue

**Open Your Mind To New Possibilities**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, except the storyline idea and Shien's sister.

**Summary:** After (over)hearing Shien's comments, Nataku confronts his subordinate - with unexpected results. Unfortunately, Heaven has plans for the new couple.

Stuff in italics are thoughts, words in bold (other than the title, disclaimer, summary and chapter number) are emphasized, and ---------- denotes an interval in time.

**Chapter 8**

True to expectation, Nataku turned up for the dinner, looking resplendent in his own choice of clothing, as opposed to the ridiculous set he was given. Sitting in his allocated seat, he heard several hushed murmurs about "the young man's bravery" and other similar comments. But deep down, he knew that the people were merely being polite. He also knew that the majority of the guests felt shocked that he could still find strength to turn up. Locating his seat, he occupied it, wincing slightly as some wounds reopened and worn muscles stretched. _'Even painkillers aren't completely effective anymore...better get the alchemist to make a stronger batch tomorrow.'_

The dinner passed without much event, except for a speech by Kanzeon Bosatsu, commending Nataku for his courage and resilience. Nataku kept his head bowed, not bothering to listen to the obviously hypocritical words that were more often than not used to get into Li Touten's good books. However, this was Kanzeon Bostasu, the woman who held a significant part of Heaven's military and political power. There was no reason for her to try and form an alliance with that revolting man. Thus, Nataku felt that it was only proper to accord her a certain amount of respect. As he looked up, he caught her eye.

Instantly, he found himself gazing at her, absorbing every word she said. The look in her eyes held no ill intention; she was just stating the bare facts. Even though everyone, especially Konzen Douji, called her a crazy old hag, she was actually the only non-corrupt high authority in Heaven, a fact which Nataku fully grasped onlythen. Concluding her speech, Kanzeon Bosatsu sat down, giving Nataku a quick wink, which caused Nataku to grin and look elsewhere. _'For the most skilled warrior in Heaven, he's kind of shy...'_ Kanzeon thought to herself as she focussed on her dinner.

It had been quite a while since the people of Heaven saw such merriment, and as a result, the vast majority of the population had used the opportunity to get drunk. Under the coercion of his peers and superiors, Shien was forced to consume liberal amounts of alcohol long after the dinner ended, resulting in him being drunk beyond coherency. Luckily, he could rely on Nataku, who unlike him, had nobody to force him to drink, and had a higher tolerance for alcohol anyway. So their night ended with Nataku escorting Shien home, hearing him mumbling something about love and bed.

When they reached Shien's house, Nataku searched in all Shien's pockets, but could not find the key anywhere. In the end, they had to resort to yelling for Shuen to come down and open the door. Initially, she was pissed off at being awoken at three in the morning, but once she saw what happened to her brother, she switched to her usual efficient self, getting Shien changed and into bed in record time. After that had been settled, she turned to Nataku, who had taken on the role of interested spectator. "Stop looking at him like that," she waved a hand in front of his eyes, "or at least admire him while I'm sleeping." Trying to hide his surprise, Nataku turned his eyes away from Shien's sleeping form to ask, "How did you know? It didn't happen too long ago and we've been really careful about it..."

_'Men...'_ Shuen thought, then rolled her eyes as she replied, "When will you ever learn that we women have this thing called an intuition? I noticed the chemistry between you two a long time ago. That's also how I figured out that it wouldn't work out with us. You'd better be a little more discrete around others. Especially women." She smiled, then continued, "You're welcome to spend the night here if you want. You know where the spare bed is. I'm going back to sleep. There's stillmarketing to do tomorrow, or later, depending on how you see it." Yawning widely, she went away, leaving Nataku with the suspicion that his relationship with Shien was not as private as he had previously thought.

----------

Shien was fighting for his life. Thousands of demons had surrounded him, all wielding heavy mallets. For some strange reason, his whips had malfunctioned, and he was forced to use hand-to-hand combat to keep them at bay. Strangely, all of them seemed to be targetting his head, and quite a few of them had got in some decent blows. Finally, one of them hit him so hard that he was propelled high into the sky...

And back into the world of the waking. The events from the dream had seemed real enough, but it was only a dream after all. The only thing that followed him back from the dream was the persistent headache, which was quickly blamed on the alcohol. Groaning a little from the throbbing pain in the back of his head, Shien went to the kitchen to find something to make the pain subside and a drink, muttering a greeting to Shuen along the way.

Halfway through the drink, Shien remembered that he had said something while Nataku was sending him home the previous night. Just the thought alone caused a blush to tinge his pale cheeks. Rushing back to his room to get changed, he noticed something – or someone lying on his spare bed. _'Looks like my head hurt more than I thought if Ididn't seehim earlier on.'_ Sitting by Nataku's side, Shien reached over to brush the black hair out of the closed golden eyes.

Unaccustomed to someone touching him in his sleep, Nataku immediately woke up and had his would-be assailant in a very painful submission hold taught exclusively to high-ranking military personnel. And that was why he was momentarily stunned when the other person easily broke the hold, and a familiar voice said, "I take it you're not much of a morning person." Realizing the person he had tried to cripple was also the person he loved more than anyone else, Nataku briefly considered going on an apologetic frenzy before settling for a small smile. Shien noticed his inner debate and reached over and gave him a hug. "It's all right. And thanks for last night. Incidentally, could you understand what I was saying?"

Deciding to be cheeky for once, Nataku replied, "Oh, just something about getting a bigger bed because you love me so much." Seeing the horrified expression on Shien's face, he quickly added, "I'm kidding! You were drunk off your ass last night, and there was no way I could have understood anything you said. But judging from your reaction, I don't think I'm too far off..." Shien swallowed a few times before responding, "You're not too far off. Actually, you're totally correct. I'd really like it if you could move in with us. I don't think your father would put up much of an objection."

Smiling softly, all Nataku could do was nod. He had been waiting for this offer for such a long time, playing out the conversation in his head, thinking of romantic, witty, or normal replies. But now that it actually happened, all the practice went down the drain and he was at a complete loss for words. The happiness was beginning to make him feel light-headed, or so he thought, until he fell, barely conscious, into Shien's arms. Through the daze, he could hear Shien cursing in every language and dialect he knew, before he felt himself being elevated and moved at high speed. And then, the world went black.

"Damn shit grandson's cousin's father's sister's daughter of a blue furry mountain ogre living high in the bleeding Himalayas!!" Shien cursed silently under his breath as he carried Nataku towards the healer's residence. He guessed that exhaustion was the reason for Nataku's sudden collapse, but only the healer would be able to give an accurate diagnosis.

Running into the healer's clinic, Shien ignored the long queue and barged directly into the office, where a female patient was undergoing a physical examination. Paying no attention to the woman, who was quickly throwing her clothes on, Shien laid Nataku gently on the bed, told the healer to perform a full body examination, and sat in a chair to wait.

----------

Luckily, Shien's prediction had been right. Nataku had, over the last one and a half days, exerted himself so much that if he had been anyone else, he would have dropped dead after the dinner. The healer had also said that Nataku was to stay in bed for at least three days, and he was to take nutritional supplements to replenish his store of vital substances which were exhausted by his activities. Letting out the breath he had been holding, Shien carried Nataku back to his room. He felt it would be pushing things if they went back to his own residence to rest. After making sure Nataku was comfortable, he was about to exit when he saw an envelope on the desk bearing the Houtou Castle insignia. Slitting it open, Shien retrieved the document inside and began to read.

**Notes:** As much as I'm not in favour of using clichés, the plot thickens. Oh yes it does. I'm not too sure if the characters will ever do this in real life (or if they even existed), but I hope everyone doesn't mind. Just curious – does Shien appear too forward in the story?


End file.
